So much for Tom Brady facing off with Peyton Manning in a much-anticipated, much-predicted AFC championship rubber match. Instead, after the Baltimore Ravens played spoiler to Manning’s Broncos in Denver on Saturday night, Brady’s New England Patriots will host a rematch of last year’s title game.

The Patriots held up their end with Sunday’s resounding 41-28 home AFC divisional round victory over the Houston Texans. It looked as though the Broncos would help get Manning there, too, until the Ravens’ offense and rest of their defense made sure Ray Lewis would see at least one more stop on his “last ride.”

If it can’t be Brady and Manning battling for a shot at another ring before their Hall of Fame careers end, Brady vs. Lewis once more is a pretty good consolation prize. It’s a guarantee that one of them will take the Super Bowl stage and have a chance to add to his all-time greatness.

It has been a dozen years since Lewis, then just hitting his prime, led the Ravens’ defense to a dominant run through Super Bowl XXXV. Brady splashed onto the scene a year later, delivering the Patriots their first ring in Super Bowl XXXVI, but thanks to the New York Giants (twice) he has been stuck on “just” three for eight years.

At the same time, the season has allowed us to appreciate other legends whose remaining time in the league is limited. While it was sad to see Manning eliminated after writing such a great comeback story with the Broncos, it was good to see an emotional Tony Gonzalezfinally get his first playoff win, with the Atlanta Falcons.

Although we’re unsure how much longer we will see Manning and Gonzalez, we already know that next Sunday could be the last time we see Lewis, who will retire at the end of the playoffs. Looking at the upstarts at quarterback, you never know when Brady will see his window suddenly close.

So here they are to help decide the AFC title and remind us of things past and present—before we fully tap into the NFL’s promising future—just not quite how we expected it. Even though Brady is still an elite player and Lewis isn’t, there are no doubts they both still have the power to fire up teammates.

Just as Manning shared his great respect for Lewis after the Ravens outlasted the Broncos in overtime, you can bet there’s a similar feeling between Brady and Lewis. They are the two of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, and when the game is over, they appreciate players who are most like themselves.

As with Manning vs. Lewis, there’s only room for one great to move on next week in Foxborough. Brady and Lewis shouldn’t want it any other way.

Injury update

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots (left wrist). Gronkowski made a valiant attempt to be effective in his return from a broken forearm, only to reinjure himself early against the Texans. He's now in line for more surgery and will be unavailable for the playoffs. His ability to dominate as a receiver will be missed most, but the loss of his blocking also will hurt vs. the Ravens. New England will need Aaron Hernandez to keep delivering in Gronkowski’s absence.

Danny Woodhead, RB, Patriots (thumb). It was hard to notice Woodhead leaving the game after the first series against the Texans, because Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen had no problems picking up the slack in the backfield. Woodhead is a nice change-of-pace back, but the Patriots easily have the depth to fill his role.

Chandler Jones, DE, Patriots (ankle). New England’s defense wasn’t immune to the injury bug. The rookie left at halftime and didn’t return. The Patriots will need every able pass rusher they can muster to take on Baltimore’s fine offensive line.

John Abraham, DE, Falcons (ankle). It’s unclear just how healthy Abraham is; coach Mike Smith told reporters he tweaked a previous injury. Abraham told SN correspondent D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that "after awhile, I just couldn't push off of it anymore." However, Abraham vowed to play next week, saying, "you can't keep me out of that game. We're going to treat the (heck) out of it."

Atlanta got away with not bringing him back against the Seahawks, but paid a price with having no pass rush to slow down Wilson. The Falcons will hope Abraham is closer to full strength after a full week of healing so he can chase Kaepernick.

Joe Staley, LT, 49ers (arm). Staley, who is in line to face Abraham off the edge next Sunday, got banged up in the win over Green Bay. He is expected to be OK and should be able to make the game even tougher for the Falcons’ top end.

DeVier Posey, WR, Texans (Achilles’). Posey tore the tendon the series after he made an acrobatic 25-yard second-half touchdown reception against the Patriots. The injury is a blow for a team that's desperate for a young playmaker opposite Andre Johnson. Posey was showing he deserved a bigger role in the offense next season.